Reunion
by Carzekiel
Summary: Carol and Ezekiel go on a trip to Hilltop to reunite with some friends. Continuation of "Blame the weather" and "Not a secret anymore".


**Reunion**

Disclaimer: They`re not mine. Not making any profit with them. Just having fun.

Ezekiel looked up from his work as he heard his wife enter the theater, watching her as she walked down the middle aisle towards him. He had no idea how it was possible, but she seemed to become more and more beautiful every day, her now shoulder-long curls swaying softly around her head. Carol was about 20 weeks pregnant now with their child, proudly showing off her belly that had become considerably larger over the past couple weeks.

Ezekiel stood up from his throne, offering Carol his hand as she climbed up the stairs, greeting her with a kiss.

"So, what did he say?"

Carol went to the doctor this morning in order to get his okay for an excursion to Hilltop. Ezekiel and a couple of his men would leave tomorrow morning and Carol had expressed her wish to go with them. Her pregnancy in mind, Ezekiel wasn`t too happy about that, but facing his wife`s death stare he had relented, suggesting that she should at least talk to the doctor.

Judging by the triumphant smile on her face everything went in her favor. Ezekiel hadn`t expected anything less. Carol always got what she wanted. It was something he deeply admired about her.

"He said that if I feel up to it, there`s no reason for me not to go. Except the usual dangers, of course, that apply to everyone who steps outside the gates. But I`m counting on my fearless husband, who also happens to be the King of this place, and his bunch of heroic guards to protect me from any danger we might face on our way."

With that she sat down on his throne, looking up at him with a challenge in her eyes.

Ezekiel knew when he was defeated, though.

"Very well played, my Queen" he said with a wink, sitting down on the edge of the table.

Carol leaned back in her chair, pleased with herself. She knew Ezekiel wouldn`t be mad at her, he trusted her judgement as she trusted him to bring her safely to Hilltop and back home again. They had taken this trip many times together in the past and she always enjoyed it, especially when it had been only the two of them. She knew this would probably be her last chance for a trip to Hilltop for some time and she really wanted to see Maggie and Tara. They didn`t know yet about her pregnancy and she couldn`t wait to see the look on their faces when they saw her.

She took his hand, kissing his palm before placing it on her belly. Ezekiel loved touching it, impatiently waiting for the day when he would feel his son moving inside of her. The doctor had told them that the baby was probably a boy about two weeks ago, no guarantees, though. But Carol was fairly certain that he was right. This whole pregnancy felt different than her first and that wasn`t just due to the circumstances.

Now she slid Ezekiel`s hand over her belly placing it wherever she felt the baby kicking.

"Seems like he`s playing hide and seek again with you" she laughed.

Ezekiel dropped to his knees before her, first placing a kiss on her belly, then on her mouth. And another one. And one more.

"Do you have any idea how much I love you?"

Carol slid her hands around his neck, pulling him close, her mouth almost touching his.

"As much as I love you" she whispered before firmly pressing her lips to his, kissing him passionately. Before things could get out of hand, they were disturbed by the sound of the front doors crashing open and closing again with a loud thud. There was only one person in the Kingdom that would enter the sacred theater like that. Carol and Ezekiel exchanged a bemused smile, waiting for their other son to show up.

Marching down the aisle, Henry came to a stop before his parents, staring up at them with his hands on his hips.

"So, what did he say?" he repeated the exact words from his father a couple minutes earlier, making Carol chuckle. Genetics aside, this boy was the exact copy of his father.

Of course, Henry knew about the deal his parents had made. Ever since Carol`s belly started growing rapidly, he barely left her side anymore, considering himself his mother`s personal bodyguard. If she was going, he was going, too.

"Well, I guess we`re going on a family trip" Ezekiel proclaimed theatrically, earning himself a happy dance from his son and another kiss from his wife.

They left early the next morning with a wagon full of trade goods and accompanied by Jerry and two other guards. It was the middle of September, the weather still warm, but not as hot as it had been almost throughout the summer. Perfect traveling conditions. The trip was more or less uneventful, nothing more dangerous than some smaller trees blocking the road or some stray walkers. They took their time, taking several breaks in between so Carol could walk around a little. She wouldn`t complain, but Ezekiel knew that sitting for too long at a time was becoming more and more uncomfortable for her.

They arrived at Hilltop just before sundown, impatiently awaited by their friends. Maggie, Tara and Jesus came down to the gates to greet them as soon as the watchmen announced the arrival of their party. Ezekiel helped Carol down from the wagon, his body and her long cardigan, that she had put on when the temperature started to drop, momentarily shielding her from their view. As he stepped aside with a quick peck to his wife`s nose, three pairs of eyes landed on Carol, staring at her middle, mouths open in surprise.

Carol put her hands on her hips, staring back at them with a bemused look on her face.

"What? Have you guys never seen a pregnant woman before?"

She stepped forward to embrace Maggie, whom she hadn`t seen in a long while. Maggie hugged her friend tight, smiling brightly, then turned to Ezekiel.

"I can`t believe it, this is wonderful. I`m so happy for you!"

"Congratulations!" Tara and Jesus chimed in, both of them hugging Carol and Ezekiel as well.

Shielding her eyes against the setting sun, Maggie said "It`s late already, you probably had a long trip. Come on, I show you where you`ll sleep tonight. You can freshen up before we have dinner."

She grabbed Carol`s hand, leading her away with Tara following close behind.

"And I show you where you can leave your horses and wagon for the night" Jesus said with a clap to Ezekiel`s back, marching off without waiting for a reply. Ezekiel briefly considered following his wife inside, leaving the task of settling their horses in to Jerry and Henry, but then decided against it, giving the women some time alone.

After they all had a pleasant dinner together, Maggie tried to put little Hershel to bed, but the little boy had other ideas. He was overly excited, not being used to having so many strangers around. He couldn`t remember Carol or Ezekiel and although he`d never seen Henry before, he was immediately fixed on the older boy, not leaving his side throughout the evening.

"Show Henry my room, Mommy? Pleeease" Hershel was now pleading with his mother, squirming in her arms.

Henry shrugged his shoulders.

"I don`t mind." He enjoyed being around younger children, often volunteering in reading to the Kingdom`s kindergarten children or playing ball games with them.

"Fine." As soon as Maggie put her son down, Hershel ran towards Henry, grabbing his hand and leading him up the stairs.

"Seems like you have a great babysitter at hand."

Ezekiel put his arm around his wife as they both watched the two boys disappear upstairs, a warm smile on his face. Carol leaned into him, softly stroking her belly. She was incredibly proud of Henry, proud to be his mother.

"I guess we do. Don`t even need to pay him."

Chuckling, the three adults stepped into Maggie`s office, shutting the door behind them. Maggie sat down at her desk while Carol and Ezekiel reclined on the sofa. Carol was tired, but also curious, knowing what her husband wanted to discuss.

"So, do you have any news from Alexandria?"

The Kingdom was much farther from Alexandria than Hilltop. After they found out what happened there that had caused Michonne to shut down her community, Carol and Ezekiel had tried a couple times to talk to Michonne, tried to persuade her not to give up on their alliance, not to give up on the future that Rick wanted for all of them, but she was unrelenting. After a while they had given up, although every now and then Ezekiel sent some letters. So far, they never got any response.

They knew, however, that Jesus was secretly meeting with Aaron once in a while. After Tara left Alexandria, that was the only connection left with Michonne`s community. Ezekiel knew that Maggie and Michonne hadn`t been on good terms with each other anymore, and that Maggie was convinced Hilltop could do without Alexandria. Even though that may be the case, Ezekiel wasn`t willing to give up on their friends, hoping that one day it would be possible to reunite them all.

When Maggie shook her head, he wasn`t really surprised, though.

"She`s still refusing to talk to me. Haven`t seen Daryl in a while, either. He seems to be the only one she`s letting in these days."

Taking his wife`s hand, Ezekiel let out a sigh. "That is unfortunate. There isn`t anything that we can do about it now, but I am convinced that one day we will be able to reconnect with our friends. And until then at least we have each other. The Kingdom will always be open to trade business with Hilltop. As requested, we brought you some – "

A loud yawn from Carol interrupted him.

"Well, I guess we can discuss our business tomorrow. The Queen needs some rest."

Carol gave him a dirty look, but stood up anyway. Saying goodnight to Maggie, they retreated to their chamber.

A little while later they lay spooned up in bed with Ezekiel softly stroking Carol`s belly. She wanted nothing more than to go to sleep, but she knew something was bothering him and that he wouldn`t fall asleep until whatever it was, was settled in his mind. Turning a little in his arms, she softly grabbed his jaw to make him look at her.

"Are you okay?"

He smiled, kissing her fingertips. Carol knew him better than anyone else in the world, she always sensed when something was unsettling him. Only in this case it wasn`t so much about himself, but about her.

"I`m a little disappointed, that`s all. What about you? How are you feeling?"

"Tired" she said, rubbing her nose against his chin. "Why don`t you just say what`s bothering you so we both can go to sleep?"

She never was one to be fooled, his Queen.

"I know you`re worried because he hasn`t shown up at the Kingdom in months. Now hearing that he hasn`t been to Hilltop, either – I just don`t want you to be upset."

Now Carol understood. Turning around to face him, she put her hand on Ezekiel`s cheek.

"I`m not upset. And I`m not worried. Well, maybe a little, but not much. If anyone is made for living outside, it`s Daryl. He made that choice for himself as we made our choices. He knows that he is always welcome here or at the Kingdom and he will show up again sooner or later. I`m okay with that. You really don`t need to worry about me. Believe me when I say that I am pretty much the happiest girl in the world right now. And as long as you stay by my side that`s never gonna change."

She pulled him in for a kiss, showing him that every word she just said was nothing but the truth.

"I`ll always be by your side, my Love. No one will ever be able to keep me away from you. Not as long as I live."

Kissing him again, Carol rolled back into her former position, snuggling her back against him, pulling his arms tight around her.

"That`s what I`m counting on."

The next morning Carol woke up earlier than usual, the unfamiliar sounds from outside disturbing her sleep. She rolled to her back, finding her husband still asleep beside her. For a couple minutes she tried unsuccessfully to go back to sleep, then the need to pee drove her out of bed. The more her belly was growing, the more often she needed to visit the bathroom. After that was done, Carol considered getting dressed, but Ezekiel`s half-naked body lured her back to bed.

He was lying on his back, his dreads spread out around his head, his mouth slightly open. Carol was sure she had never seen a more beautiful man than him in her entire life. And he was all hers. She remembered her own words from last night – I`m the happiest girl in the world. And she truly was. This man – her husband – was everything she ever dared to dream about.

Lying down next to him she let her eyes wander over his body, but soon looking wasn`t enough. She trailed her fingertips down his neck, over his muscular chest and stomach. His lower body was under the covers, so she carefully pulled them aside, giving her unrestricted access to him. Her fingers crept under the waistband of his shorts, shoving it down far enough so she could free what was underneath. Though he was still asleep, his body was already reacting to her touch. Sliding down on the mattress, Carol took a firm hold on him, then lowered her head to take him into her mouth.

Groaning deep in his chest, Ezekiel opened his eyes to the sight of his wife delightfully sucking on his dick, completely absorbed in her task. There couldn`t be any better way to wake up. He rose up on his elbows to watch her, enjoying the exquisite feeling of her hot mouth on him. She worked him thoroughly, bringing him ever closer to the brink.

Carol loved that he was watching her, his hot gaze spurring her on even further, adding to her own arousal. She wanted to touch herself, but this was for him. She was intent on making him come in her mouth, wanted to taste him on her tongue. His breathing was quick and shallow, she could feel his rapid heartbeat under her palm. Carol knew he wouldn`t last long anymore when she felt his hand on her head, his fingers fisting into her curls, the feeling making her moan around him.

As much as he enjoyed what she was doing, Ezekiel had other plans. He gently pulled on her hair to get Carol to stop. She looked up at him, resisting his pull, teasing him a little while longer before releasing him from her mouth, giving in to his silent plea. Carol took her time licking her way up his body. When she started nipping at his taut nipples, the pull on her hair got more insistent and she gave in, raising her head so her mouth was just inches from his, licking her lips.

Ezekiel didn`t waste any time, crashing her mouth down on his, kissing her forcefully while at the same time trying to position her so he could enter her. Carol reached between them to guide him in, dragging her mouth away from his so she could sit upright, using her own bodyweight to slide down on him all the way. She cried out from the pure pleasure of having him fill her.

Ezekiel reached for her hands, lacing their fingers together and with their eyes fixed on each other, they started moving together, perfectly in sync with each other. Both of them knew they wouldn`t last long. They moved fast, completely lost in their feelings, sweat streaming down their bodies. When Ezekiel felt the coiling in his groin, he pushed Carol forward as far as her pregnant belly would allow, latching onto one tight nipple, sucking it as hard as he could. She came immediately as he spilled himself inside her, not even registering the scream that fell from her lips.

They crashed to the mattress, breathing hard, not able to move for long minutes afterward. When he had his body somewhat under control again, Ezekiel rolled to his side, placing a kiss on his wife`s damp forehead.

"You know, one day you`re gonna kill us with this."

Playing with a strand of his dreads, Carol feigned total innocence.

"Not my fault. You turned me into a nymphomaniac. Now you have to live with it."

Chuckling, Ezekiel leaned in for another kiss. There definitely were worse fates than that.

After breakfast, Ezekiel sat down with Maggie and Jesus to discuss the trading business between the Kingdom and Hilltop while Carol spent some time with Enid, learning what she could about medical plants, Henry in tow. The boy obviously had a crush on the young doctor. Later, the family had a light lunch together, after which Ezekiel and Henry went to visit the blacksmith. Carol was tired and headed for their room to take a nap.

In the hall, she ran into Maggie, who regarded her friend with a big grin on her face.

"What?"

"Seems like things are going pretty good between you and the King."

Running a hand over her belly, Carol raised an eyebrow at Maggie. "Yeah, they are."

"I`m really happy for you. You deserve all the happiness in the world."

Carol opened her mouth, but before she could say anything, Maggie leaned forward to whisper in her ear.

"My room is right next to yours. Maybe you`ll keep that in mind tonight. Or tomorrow morning. Whatever."

Carol blushed furiously, thinking about her wild interlude with Ezekiel this morning. Laughing, Maggie good-naturedly bumped her shoulder before stepping outside. Shaking her head, Carol slowly climbed the stairs. Given her current hormone-driven horniness something like this was bound to happen sooner or later. 'Well' she thought 'better here than at home.'

All of a sudden, she couldn`t wait to get back to the Kingdom.


End file.
